Secrets Revealed
by k-a-dg
Summary: Tumblr roleplaying thread written in 2013. Paragraphs by Adam / Beast written by Tumblr user who-could-ever-love-a-beast. The characters of Adam / Beast & Ariel are completely owned by the Walt Disney Company.


Adam walked the cobbled stone streets, of one of the small towns near his own estate. It was just after sunset, so all the hustle and bustle of the busy town had for the most time died down, as some village shops were starting to close up for the night. Adam got down from one of his stable horses, putting the reins into his left hand, and pulling the horse deeper into one of the narrower roads. This was probably the third time he had actually gone into civilization. He certainly wasn't used to being around people, not yet.

Ariel was lost in thought as she wandered aimlessly on the beach, thinking about Ursula and her unborn baby. What if she tried to harm her.. Or the baby? How could Ariel protect herself?

Hours must've gone by, and Ariel looked up to see a little town. It was similar to the one from her kingdom, but it definitely wasn't it. The music was different, people were speaking differently, even the buildings looked different. It was then that Ariel realized she was in a new kingdom.

By the time he reached up to the boardwalk, the bright red of Ariel's hair down below caught his eye. "Ariel…?" He said to himself, kind of confused that she had randomly showed up in France. Hoping up on his Clydesdale once again, he rode down the wooden path, onto the beach where Ariel was trailing. "I wasn't expecting to see you here." Adam said, catching up with her, and he steadied his horse to a slow walk.

Ariel started wandering into the town, trying to figure out what little kingdom she was in. Suddenly, a man on a large horse crossed her path.

She heard her name and looked up at him, but she didn't recognize him. "I'm sorry.." she said slowly, raising an eyebrow at the man questioningly. "Do I know you?"

"It's Adam…" He said quirking an eyebrow, "You're kind of in my province, or close to it are you lost?"

Ariel shook her head, not recognizing the name. _He seems to be in charge of this little town.. Maybe he doesn't welcome visitors._

"I, um.." she struggled, trying to explain herself. "I was just wandering down the beach in my kingdom.. And I guess I got lost in thought. I ended up here. I could just go back the way I came, if you want.." However, she quickly added, "This seems like a wonderful little town."

Awkwardly, Ariel nervously started twisting some of her hair around her finger. "But, um… How do you know my name?" She bit her lip. _Did someone back home start telling my story to everyone he met? Does everyone know I used to be a mermaid?_

"You're the wife of Prince Eric aren't you?" He said, raising an eyebrow to her, maybe he had the wrong person it was possible he guessed. "Denmark is a neighboring ally to my province in France…."

Ariel stopped playing with her hair when he mentioned Eric, and she looked up at him. "You know Eric?" She started thinking of all the places Eric had been; there were too many to count. But it was possible that he had mentioned an Adam at some point.

"Well, yes. Eric is my husband. He probably mentioned you at some point, I just can't really remember." She smiled.

"Well yes both our families have been friends and doing business together for decades, I was very surprised to see you wandering out here." He said "Are you lost?"

"Really? I didn't know that," she giggled. "I guess so many things go on when you're royalty, you don't really remember much." She shrugged nonchalantly.

Then, the redhead thought of something. "Wait a minute.. You said your name was Adam? Do you know a Belle? She's another princess, and from what I remember her husband's name is Adam."

"Yeah that's well me…..I'm her husband." Adam answered, kind of hoping Ariel didn't know the whole story to their meeting and getting together.

"Oh," she said slowly and simply. After a moment, she cleared her throat. "Well, I.. I heard about your story. It's wonderful, really," she nodded. "I think I read it in a book. But Belle didn't even know it _was_ a book." She half-smiled awkwardly.

"What….?" Adam asked truly alarmed, he furrowed his eyebrows at Ariel "I had no idea…..I…Well…..I hope you know that I'm harmless now." He said, looking at the ground.

"Yes, Belle didn't know either," she shook her head. "But it definitely flattered your story. I just don't know where it came from, or who wrote it.. It was in my library."

Noticing Adam's discomfort, Ariel offered him a soft smile and nodded. "No worries. I know what's it like to undergo a transformation. It makes you," she paused, thinking of the right words. "It makes you a whole new person."

"Oh yes I was completely different before everything, I'm pretty different now thanks to belle."Adam answered, now gaining a more confident composure he looked at Ariel giving her a slight frown "forgive me I had no idea about the book, and your story as well."

Ariel waved her hand in dismissal. "No worries," she smiled at him. _I wonder why Eric never mentioned Adam to me._

"So," Ariel began, changing the subject as she looked around at the bustling town. "Just checking out how everything is going along?"

"Not necessarily, I actually came to pick up a few things, and besides I like to get out….sometimes since I'm pretty much isolated where my castle is located." He answered "And what brings you to this town?"

She folded her hands together before replying, "Well, I was just wandering around the beach by the castle.. Thinking." _To say the least._ She shook her head. I must've been so lost in thought that I didn't even realize where I was going. I must have walked forever.." she trailed off. "But anyway, I'm here, so I might as well look around a bit before heading back," she smiled.

"Of course I can show you some of the town." Adam said, now pulling his horse up to the walkway staircase of a bridge. He walked the horse up the staircase until his hooves clicked against the pavement of the bridge. Adam began crossing until he was standing just at the entrance of the small town. Adam turned to Ariel, putting a hand on her shoulder as he looked on at the hustle and bustle of the town. "Here I'll show you what each shop is." He began pointing to a cart filled with unique perfumes, chocolates, and jewelry "All of that is transported right from Paris." He then moved on pointing to another "That's well just a restaurant, a tavern which I'm afraid I spend a little too much time at, a coffee house, a bakery and that…..that is where they sell all kinds of great china, silverware, and what not."

Ariel nodded in understanding as she looked around, glancing at everything Adam pointed out. "Wow.. Well, you certainly couldn't get bored here, that's for sure." She said. They passed a market, which was ever-so-proudly displaying fish on a stand out front. The sight made Ariel shudder, and she quickly averted her eyes from the sight.

Adam noticed Ariel's reaction to the dead fish on display, he looked down as well, frowning that she seemed to be highly disturbed from it. "I know it's an awful sight…." Adam said to her, now walking as far away as possible from the fish cart.

Ariel shook her head. "Don't.. Don't worry about it." She sighed and gave a small shrug. "There's nothing to be done. It's.. It's how humans live. Even though I personally am not a big fan." The princess wondered how Adam knew why the fish made her uncomfortable. _Eric must've told him about me._

Adam shrugged now walking downward along the cobbled stone street. He hesitated saying this to her, but went along with it "You're a mermaid aren't you?" He asked rhetorically, knowing what her answer would most likely be "Is that why you were wondering so far up here?"

His question took Ariel off-guard. She stuttered a bit before finally saying, "I.. Uh.. Well, um.. Former mermaid." She bit her lip. "I, um, I guess Eric told you, then? About me?" She paused, waiting for his answer.

He nodded losing his eye contact with Ariel "Yes very briefly though, and I picked up on a few things, you know like you seeming to not stand the sight of dead fish, and you seemed to just appear magically right out of the sea." Adam laughed, almost mocking her with his tone.

Ariel gave a quick nod. "I see," she said dully, looking away. When he commented on the "dead fish," she shuddered. "What do you mean by 'briefly?'"

"I mean that he simply just told me you are a born mermaid and now human." Adam answered shrugging. "This sounds a little new to you, I just now really believed about your condition from earlier." He nodded his head down towards the beach.

"Oh," she replied shortly. _Well, Eric was definitely brief._ Which was a good thing. Of course, Ariel didn't mind whatever her husband decided to do, but she did appreciate him keeping some things untold, especially something very… Private. She half-smiled. "Well, then we've both had some changes to ourselves, haven't we?" The redhead chuckled and brushed some hair behind her ear, making her diamond earring catch the sunlight. "If you don't mind me asking.." she paused and bit her lip a bit, "Did you question it? The whole 'mermaid' thing, I mean."

"Yes of course I did, in fact at first I just laughed at him thinking he was trying to con me." Adam answered, a smug grin on his face. "But then I realized it was true, but as you know I'am a firm believer of the most impossible." He continued.

Ariel chuckled, realizing that Adam and Eric seemed to have a good relationship. She nodded and smiled. "Well, yes, that's understandable," she giggled.

"Very understandable. I'll have you know I can be a very bad skeptic, which is also ironic." Realizing what he was saying, he shook his head as to shake himself off of his own stupidity. "By the way do you happen to have any children?"

Ariel gave him a light grin at his comment, then was taken aback by the sudden change in subject. She grinned, and thought about Melody, and the little brother or sister she would soon be having, though Ariel's body didn't betray her just yet. "I do," she replied cheerfully. "Our daughter, Melody. She's almost thirteen." She sighed, still unable to grasp how big their little girl was getting. "Why do you ask?" she questioned curiously, tilting her head.

Adam paused for a moment, looking at somewhere far off in the distance, then to the ground and then at Ariel. "What is it like?" He simply asked, hoping she wouldn't mind humoring him on the topic.

Adam's sudden shyness made Ariel curious. "Well," she started, trying to show that she hadn't noticed his change in posture, "It's wonderful. Having someone who is just like you, and just like the person you love, it's incredible." She smiled, thinking of the way Melody took after her father's appearance, and her mother's love for the sea and stubborn personality. "It really is a blessing," she added quietly.

"I would suppose it is." He replied thankful that Ariel had given him some useful and positive feedback at that on the subject. "Wouldn't they drive you worry sick though?" Adam laughed "It must take a tremendous amount of patience."

"Sometimes," she agreed, nodding slightly. "But that's part of being a parent. It isn't always perfect, but that doesn't mean it's a complete nightmare." She paused and bit her lip before saying a bit quieter, "Why do you ask?"

Adam swallowed expecting her to ask why he seemed so concerned about the subject, but he decided to tough it out and just simply explain not really believing it was such a big matter to discuss. "Well really I find you and I to be very a like in some ways." He stated making eye contact with Ariel now. "Being that you were a mermaid before having a child I was wondering did you have any worries that…..that would affect Melody in anyway?" Adam asked, raising an eyebrow before he continued "I would just like to know if my son and or daughter in the future would suffer as a result of my transformation or me being an animal for a lot of my life, now I don't expect you to know everything about this nor do you have to tell me anything you're not comfortable with, I just ask what you think about that since you are the perfect person to ask really." He had finished speaking, now relaxing his shoulders as he rocked back on his heels in some anticipation.

At Adam's little ramble Ariel's eyes slightly widened, but she frowned and bit her lip. "I know exactly what you mean," she said quietly. "And yes, we did. I think I spent the entire pregnancy worrying that she would be.. different." She exhaled sharply, remembering the constant worrying and anxiety that everyone had had, including all the merpeople and townspeople, Eric, and the castle staff.

"But we were lucky, so very lucky," she sighed. "Not one thing was wrong with her. Even though I definitely still have mermaid in my DNA." The redhead then thought of the baby that she and Eric had just found out they're having. Of course, no one knew about it yet, and Eric didn't seem concerned, but Ariel definitely was having a few worries as to if the couple would be so lucky this time.

"I think you'll be alright, though," she reassured him. "You were born a human; I wasn't."

"How can you be so sure than if you ever have another?" Adam asked impulsively, cocking his head to the side as he raised an eyebrow skeptically. "What if something goes wrong that time?"

Ariel was taken aback by his question. _It's like he knows._ "Well, I.. I guess I don't." She sighed before continuing. "I think that I'd just have to convince myself not to worry. There's nothing I could do about it, so I shouldn't spend so much time so anxious." She looked up at him, trying to convince both Adam and herself.

"But," the redhead continued, "I don't think you should worry, either. Besides, you were _born_ human. I wasn't."

"Right" Adam replied, not totally convinced at Ariel's logic and somewhat skeptical for the most part. He looked around at the town noticing the traffic and crowds and does down, mainly since it was a late hour in the afternoon for everyone to take a break for now. Adam turned his attention to Ariel again figuring he minus well try and be hospitable, and invite her into the castle for a little while. "Anyway since I dont really having anything better to do, would you like to come back to the castle with me?" Adam said proud of himself that he had succeeded in offering a kind gesture if only Belle could see how we'll he was behaving now.

Ariel looked over his shoulder at the castle and paused for a moment. She glanced up, noticing the orange sun that was slowly making its descent. She pointed to it and frowned. "Actually, I, uh, I think I better be going." She sighed. "I'm not really sure how long it took for me to get here, and I don't want to have to travel home in the dark." As if on cue, she heard the ocean waves make a loud crash behind her. "Eric might get worried," she sighed, biting her lip.


End file.
